Lowell Liebermann

Lowell Liebermann

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Lowell Liebermann (born February 22, 1961 in New York City) is an American composer, pianist and conductor.[1]

At the age of sixteen, Liebermann performed at Carnegie Hall, playing his Piano Sonata, op. 1. He studied at the Juilliard School of Music with David Diamond and Vincent Persichetti, gaining bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. The English composer-pianist Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji also expressed interest in Liebermann's early work, having critiqued the young composer's Piano Sonata in a private exchange between the two; Liebermann's Concerto for Piano, op. 12 would be dedicated to Sorabji.[2]

His most recorded works are the Sonata for Flute and Piano (1987), the Gargoyles for piano (1989) and the Concerto for Flute and Orchestra (1992). Other notable works include a sonata for flute and guitar (1988), four cello sonatas (most recently 2008) the second piano concerto (1992), the opera The Picture of Dorian Gray (1996),[3] a second symphony (2000), a trumpet concerto (2000), a violin concerto (2001), Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini for piano and orchestra (2001), and the opera Miss Lonelyhearts (2006) which was commissioned as part of the festivities surrounding the centennial of the Juilliard School. He was also commissioned by the Dranoff International Two Piano Foundation to compose "Three Lullabies" for two pianos.

His music combines elements of traditional tonality and structure with more adventurous harmonies. Liebermann's music is often highly polytonal and Liebermann explores different bitonal possibilities in many of his pieces. His Concerto for Piccolo and Orchestra,Concerto for Flute and Orchestra, and Concerto for Flute, Harp and Orchestra have been recorded by James Galway. His Clarinet Concerto was recorded by American clarinetist Jon Manasse. The concerto made its New York premier on May 22, 2011 with Manasse and The Chappaqua Orchestra at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, NY, Liebermann's alma mater.

Liebermann resides in New York City. He presently serves on the composition faculty at Mannes College The New School for Music, and is the director of the Mannes American Composers Ensemble.[4][5]